Lacrimosa
by MangetusProdigyPhoenix101
Summary: Madame Raven is an illustrious woman who is an ally of Ciel Phantomhive. She is widely regarded for her close association with murders and crimes, so why is the Queen's dog an ally of this woman? Sebastian decides to find out. Sebastian/OC
1. The Beginning

Ciel sipped on his tea quietly, staring out at the land known as Phantomhive Manor. It was a peaceful afternoon **—** shockingly enough **—** and he was simply reveling in the silence of the manor. His servants were all doing their tasks in such silence, which was again very shocking, but he enjoyed it. It gave him time to think. About?

He glanced at the blue diamond ring that sat so teasingly on his desk, the sunlight flowing from outside the window and into the room, bouncing off the clear, shiny diamond. Even the ring part of the cursed object shined, its gold composition highlighted by the sunlight as well. Annoyance hit Ciel, making him dead-pan and return his attention back to the land he owned.

The diamond ring was cursed; having killed all of its owners thus far. Ciel didn't desire the ring in even the slightest and therefore, he needed to think of an owner. One that could dodge death just as good as he could **—** preferably not some random person on the street since their death would cause Queen Victoria more heartache **—** and someone he trusted with said object. Lau would hardly be a good owner in that he would sell it just for the fun of it. Madame Red would refuse to own it in that it wouldn't match her dress or her hat. Sebastian would hardly be a fit owner for the ring either.

"Why does this have to be so hard?" He asked aloud, annoyance seeping through his English accent. He gripped the tea cup tighter within his childish hands and sighed deeply, diving deeper into his thoughts. A flash of a woman with a black-lipped smile brought an idea to his attention. He opened his eyes quickly and relaxed his hands around the tea cup.

He smiled. "Madame Raven..."

The woman he spoke of, Madame Raven was very good at dodging death. She was a criminal within the English Underworld but she was his ally. Why? He didn't need to explain that to anyone, not even Sebastian. Madame Raven was a tall woman of only twenty-seven years of age and the wealthy empress of the Bouledaire empire. The Bouledaire empire was defined as an empire in that they previously had many people on their side **and** were one of the wealthy nobles within London. Since Madame Raven had come into power, the majority of those persons who had been allied with the family had been killed or simply died off. The situation was suspicious and the Scotland Yard had done a full investigation but Ciel stopped said investigation under orders of the Queen (she disliked her dear Madame Raven being under such ridiculous and preposterous pressure).

The door opened with a click, breaking Ciel's walk down memory lane into scattered thoughts. He glanced over and the black-haired, honey red-eyed butler bowed in loyalty.

"As you already know, young master, your schedule is very full today. However, an unexpected visitor has arrived." His voice echoed within the office and Ciel's mind, making him realize just what he was talking about. Ciel calmly sipped his tea, nonetheless.

"So she has arrived then?" The butler waited for his master's answer. "Clear my schedule immediately. You know how long she likes to indulge within my games, Sebastian."

He smiled broadly and bowed as he spoke. "Yes, of course, my young lord." He exited then, leaving Ciel alone.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, the door opened slowly. Ciel glanced over to see his visitor; the one he had been thinking about. For a moment, all he could see was a black lace opera glove. However, the door opened more and revealed the tall woman, who stood there with a widespread smile, her black lips looking as though they might fall right off her face. Her face was quite pale, only seeming paler by the black lipstick and her black eyelashes. Her eyes were closed, a compliment to her smile, and the black eyeshadow was evident. Her tall body was covered in a long black dress like that of Madame Red's with frills decorating the bottom, neck cuff and wrist cuffs. The dress was short-sleeved and combined with her opera gloves, showed little skin. Around her neck, a black ribbon was tied and the two strings hung down, criss-crossing over her shoulder. Her dark raven hair was covered by a black hat, again like that of Madame Red's, with a black raven feather protruding from the top and sticking a little off to the side, like a devil's horn. Strays hairs fell across her neck and the sides of her face, all of which were lightly curled to perfection. Her feet, lastly, were slid into black high-heels which she easily walked around in.

She sauntered in, sitting down in the chair diagonal to his desk. She situated herself before speaking.

"I heard you were in possession of something from the Underworld." She stated, crossing her long legs and placing her chin gracefully on her index finger.

"You heard correctly, but why would you come here after hearing such news? Should you be caught by Scotland Yard in my presence, let alone in possession of something from the Underworld you would surely be sent to jail where'd you rot for the rest of your life."

Silence...

More silence...

She. Laughed.

"Such bold words for a bite-less dog! I am definitely surprised by you, Ciel. After all, you are generally so kind to me. I guess that ring is for me."

Ciel smirked.

"You know me so well, don't you?"

"Yes, a great deal."


	2. Hope Diamond

_**Chapter 2: Hope Diamond**_

"A cursed ring, eh?" She spoke deviously. "I'd very much enjoy to have such a thing in my possession."

Ciel smiled in return, watching as she knitted her black opera glove-covered hands together, plump black broadly spread in a devious smirk. She glanced at the blue diamond ring on Ciel's desk, observing the shine to the cursed ring. She could admit that the ring would look good on her finger, adding such a sparkle to it. It was small and blue, otherwise very pretty. The flash of the surface reflected within her eye.

Eyes framed by dark eyelashes looked to his, reflecting something complicated. Trust, deep and unbroken, presented itself within her dark, mysterious eyes. It was a deeper trust than any other human beings in the world, as they understood each other.

"You can have it." Ciel said simply, turning from her.

"Oh, really? That easy?" A gleam within her eye appeared and her hands relaxed, releasing themselves from each other.

"Yes, but I should warn you." Ciel brought his eyes to hers before continuing. "If you die, I won't pay for your funeral."

She laughed heartily. "I see."

She slowly stood, grabbing her black hat and placing it on her head. She glanced at the ring before grabbing it and putting it within her pocket.

"Goodbye, Ciel." She began towards the door.

"Good day." He paused, as she did as well. "Claire."

She smirked at the name before turning towards the door and grabbing the knob. "I will be alive when you visit my manor next week. Do not forget, Ciel."

His eyes went wide with shock and embarrassment.

"You know I look forward to every one of our _games_."

She exited, shutting the door behind her.

He had entirely forgotten about their chess meeting next week! And then she had to go remind him like that!

"_I will be alive when you visit my manor next week. Do not forget, Ciel. You know I look forward to every one of our games."_

Her words echoed dramatically inside his head but he managed to relax himself to the best of his ability.

"SEBASTIAN!"

* * *

The carriage rolled down the rocky path, wobbling only slightly as it did.

"We are nearing the Bouledaire manor, my lord." Sebastian informed, looking to Ciel should further instruction be required.

"Madame Raven is very good at manipulating her pieces. She is hard to beat."

Sebastian looked his young master in the eyes.

Ciel continued. "She is devious and manipulative, very easily able to fool those who aren't even fools."

"Surely she won't fool you, my lord." Sebastian inquired.

"Surely not."

The trees around them suddenly turned to miles of flat, green land surrounding a huge manor. Ciel's green eye directed itself towards the upper window, where he knew Madame Raven was, peering out at the dynasty she was left with, her hand against the glass.

"Maria, prepare my chess board and send for Sara." The brown-haired maid nodded once before rushing out of the room in order to fulfill her lady's orders. Her lady slowly looked to a portrait of a man with shaggy, brown hair that hung near the bed.

"Just another game." She stated simply before exiting the room, her footsteps on her heels echoing through the lonely room...

* * *

"Check mate." Madame Raven stated simply as she removed Ciel's final pawn, his bishop, and placed _her_ pawn, a knight in the spot his pawn has just been.

_'She so easily beat me and with such a relaxed smile.'_  
"Will you be staying for a few days, Earl?" She questioned, raising a black eyebrow as she relaxed in her red chair, her graceful hand lying on the rest.

"Sure." Ciel shrugged as he spoke, his English accent heavy as he sat back in the chair.

"Why would you not choose to stay here tonight? After all, your servants tend to fail when they're around you."

He rolled his eyes. "They fail regardless of my presence. It doesn't matter. Your servants are far better than mine, anyway."

"I value your servants." She stated, surprising Ciel.

"Why is that?" Ciel asked, acting uninterested.

"They have individuality, something my servants lack. They also have love and care; they would give up their lives to protect you and they live for serving you. That is hard to find." Her eyes directed themselves towards his smaller form and their eyes locked for moments. Ciel noticed the lonely look within her eyes and that she had looked at the male portrait near her bed.

"How long has it been?" Ciel inquired. "Since you lost him?"

"Five years." She replied simply, running a hand through her dark black hair gently.

"I see."

Moments of silence followed and Ciel allowed time to pass slowly as he just allowed himself to be one of the first long presences to appear within the Bouledaire manor for several years, something which he knew provided comfort for the woman across from him.


	3. Black Tears

**Chapter 3: Black Tears**

The Bouledaire manor had been inhabited only by three servants and Madame Raven for less than five years. Five years ago, tragedy struck when Madame Raven's husband died. Three years prior to that, her parents passed.

Madame Raven had suffered from severe depression for eight years, ever since her parents had died. Few people visited her at the large manor where so many people were said to have died. Rumors had eventually surfaced about the manor being which made for even fewer visits. Ciel was one of the few people who dared to visit Madame Raven and as such, was one of the people closest to her, even if they were polar opposites.

Many people thought it strange that the Queen's guard dog was associated with a criminal, but Ciel never cared what others said about his involvement with the lonely woman. Madame Raven hardly left her manor and when she did, it was only to visit Ciel, or to attend a party. When Ciel stayed at her manor, he heard the servants talk about how she only came out of her room when he was there or how lonely she was. The servants also tended to talk about how much she had changed since her husband's death, such as that she never wore black prior to his death, believing it a bad omen.

In the simplest terms, Madame Raven was deeply saddened by the tragedy she had experienced in her life and she wasn't afraid to show it. Anyone with an experienced eye could easily see that lonely look in her eyes. Ciel was the one person who saw that look in her eyes and respected it, knowing she was like him.

She had walked through Hell and come out on the other side stronger. She became accustomed to loneliness and used that loneliness to her advantage. She manipulated others with pity and used them to the best of her ability. Ciel admired this quality.

Some were able to see the other side to Madame Raven. The side that so badly wanted companions, and people she could love as much as anything in the world. Ciel was one of the people she had connected with and she had become like a mother, of sorts even if he didn't want to admit it.

But, alas, Ciel couldn't deny his connection with her on the inside. He was unable to do so, for a still-unknown reason. He had questioned himself why several times but never produced an answer as to why.

"Madame Raven" was, in truth, an alias created by Claire Bouledaire, the daughter of Rose and Victor Bouledaire, and the widow of Blake Wood. She was the 17th head of her family and the first female head there ever was. After she began dressing in black and had become an active criminal in the English Underworld, she had became known as Madame Raven. Madame Red particularly helped in spreading her new name. Madame Raven eventually became a hot topic in gossip and even in Madame Red's general conversations. It became that way after she discovered Ciel had become her associate.

The Queen became particularly interested in Madame Raven and wanted to know more about her. Easily, she knew more and came to associate herself with her as well. Recent rumors in the Underworld, though very quiet, label Madame Raven an agent of the Queen.


	4. A World in Darkness

_**Chapter 4: A World In Darkness**_

"There is a sadness about the Madame, don't you think, my Lord?" Sebastian inquired of his master as he prepared him for bed, removing the black eyepatch from his glowing-pink eye, which only inclined itself to open slightly. Ciel didn't reply for a moment, partly surprised that Sebastian was _questioning_ him about the Madame.

"Yes, but it is only natural."

"Hm?" Sebastian looked to him, curious as to why it was so natural. He quickly blinked at Ciel, who had his gaze directed to the wood floor with a hint of sadness within his crystalline blue eye.

"Her husband died on this day five years ago..." Ciel paused, thinking back to when he, himself had heard the news he was about to tell his butler. "And he died on their anniversary."

Sebastian appeared unfazed, continuing to prepare the room for his master's sleep. Ciel wasn't so unfazed. He sighed deeply, eyes softening and fell back on the bed, staring up at the light purple canopy to the bed he was sleeping in.

Madame Raven was a truly loving person, even if that love was locked inside her in order to avoid getting hurt. Again. She was always very kind and loving towards Ciel and that was how he knew the way she was. She could be so kind to him and still be a criminal in the Underworld, capable of killing anyone who got in her way.

Madame Raven was definitely a mystery.

* * *

The soft click of two-inch heels echoed down the lonely hallway as a single candle light reflected off the walls. The light was barely enough to make out the holder's black directed-down lips and the paleness of their face. However, the person paused in front of a mirror and looked to it, causing the light to reveal the figure.

It was Madame Raven, of course, dressed in her usual black dress except that she looked different in that her hat was missing, her lips were the only part of her face with make-up on it, and...her eyes. Her eyes were dark, darker than usual and her pupils were dilated to the point of looking very strange. Her hair was also let down, cascading down her shoulders as she stared at herself in the somewhat dusty, and slightly broken mirror.

_'I look like some lonely stranger...'_

Distracted only for a second, she quickly snapped out of her daze and continued down the hallway towards the door to her guest's room. Standing in front of it, she placed her hand on the doorknob and looked to the candle. Shifting so that the large kitchen knife could be in her hand with the candle as well, she stared at the candle before deeply inhaling and then breathing out the candle. She quickly opened the door and rushed in.

"SEBASTIAN!"

Lightning flashed outside, blocking out a scream and crashing sounds. The rain running down the window blocked any persons' view of the blood flowing down the glass and through the window pane.

* * *

Ciel couldn't believe it! How could—How could this have happened? He struggled to back away from the body lying on the floor, blood pouring from their stomach. The look of the blood on the body, and...how him and the person were so connected, made him feel nauseous; almost like he felt grief. He had tried to stop it, he had tried to say no, but it had been too late...

Madame Raven's black hair was spread out across the dark floor, blood splattered in its dark curls, looking almost like it was gradually killing its natural beauty. Her eyes were closed gently, making him secretly wish she was just sleeping. Her lips were directed down in a half-smile, half-frown as she lay there. One hand was beside her head, bloody from trying to remove the knife, and the other was holding the knife in her middle with a loose grip. Sebastian looked to his master, understanding that he had just disobeyed an order. Ciel had tried to tell him not to do it, but it was too late to stop him from stabbing the female. He had already stuck the knife in her middle when Ciel had screamed his name, and she had dropped to the floor only seconds later.

Sebastian became concerned when his master didn't say anything and instead, tears gathered on the edges of his eyes. It was weird and almost insane to think that his master might cry for this woman, regardless of their connection. He wasn't the type to cry over broken pawns or killed pawns, but for some odd reason, he was crying over this one.

"Young Lord, do not cry. She was merely a—". Before Sebastian could even say the word, Ciel had lashed out and quickly slapped him, a red mark from Ciel's hand appearing upon his face.

"DON'T YOU DARE—DON'T YOU EVEN DARE SPEAK OF HER LIKE A PAWN! DON'T YOU DARE QUESTION ME!"

Ciel slapped him once more, this time doing so with less power as he looked to Madame Raven lying on the ground. He continued to breathe heavily, panting from his sudden lash out. Sebastian remained calm and instead turned his head back to his master and bowed.

"I will call a doctor immediately, young lord."

"Yes. A-and hurry."

"Speed is my utmost skill, my...young lord."

Sebastian was gone within a second, leaving Ciel to sit with Madame Raven, who was still lying on the floor. He wondered as to why she had attacked him and so, he walked to her. Placing himself so that he could sit down beside her without sitting in blood, he bent down to her. There was no sign of regret on her face, something that Ciel found odd. He noticed the differences in her dressing style, and blinked. On a whim, he reached up and gently lifted her right eyelid. He quickly fell back, realizing he had been right.

It wasn't Madame Raven lying there, bleeding to death on the floor.


	5. Mystery of the Phantomhive Attack Part 1

_She knew they were staring, their eyes bugging out of their heads. It was only reasonable that they should stare. The fact that such a beautiful woman clung to the arm of Blake Wood was surprising enough, but a ring being on her finger was complete unheard of! The fact was that Blake wasn't very common with the ladies, despite the fact that he was handsome. He tended to ignore their flirting and say that he was married, although he himself didn't have a ring. So, they assumed he just was rude and walked away, nose high in the air._

_It was that alone that made them wonder why **the** sweet, loyal, absolutely stunning Claire Bouledaire clung to his arm, a smile on her plump, pink lips. She was young, being only fifteen and he was only a year older. The sparkling diamond ring on her finger was the center of attention as she walked by with Blake, her body pulled up against his. Her somewhat short black hair was tied high in a ponytail with the rest held by small hair clips. Her eyes, bright and blue, were much like diamonds as they were very precious to those who looked within them. Her petite body was dressed in a simple blue sundress, one that her mother had worn many years ago, and adorned her figure well. She stood only inches taller through the use of her light blue boots, which allowed her to learn her head on Blake's shoulder._

_Blake was almost a reflection of her relaxed ways, smiling broadly and gently holding her to him. His dark brown hair was cut short as hers was, and his soft brown eyes seemed to flow like chocolate when he looked to her at his side. His dark brown coat held a small pocket watch, which he continuously checked every few minutes, the small hands reading two-thirty. His brown overcoat had been lost and instead placed on her shoulders halfway through town, although it drowned her because of his larger size. He kept one hand in his brown pocket when he was idly standing by, watching as Claire pointed out sales on clothes or jewelry or something else she enjoyed. When she did point it out, he'd laugh and say "Do you want something from there?"._

_Of course, the little sweetheart would blush as red as an apple, shake her head no, and rush back to his side, embracing him tightly within her frail arms. The passionate couple remained oblivious to the townspeople's shocked looks and continued through town until they had disappeared in the direction of the Wood mansion, where an engagement ball was taking place later that night._

_Everything was perfect, as it always should be with such a loving couple. But, all fairy tales come to an end and everything good has to end, even if we don't want it to._

* * *

Madame Raven opened her eyes slowly, finding her vision blurry for moments. She quietly sighed, knowing what she had just dreamed about. She glanced around, realizing she was in her bedroom. Wondering what had happened, she sat up and quickly realized that was a bad idea. Flinching as she grabbed hold of the bedpost, she tried to relax her stomach muscles. Slowly and stiffly, she slid her legs out from underneath the blankets and placed them beside her bed, allowing her to see that she was in a nightgown. She slowly moved her hands from the bedpost and grabbed hold of her nightgown, lifting it to peer at her stomach. A thick layer of bandage covered her stomach where the pain resonated from. Flashes of last night – lying on the floor, seeing a vision of Ciel over her, Sebastian walking out of the room – gave her a slight idea of what had happened last night.

Only one question.

"Why did I try to kill Ciel?" She asked aloud.

Hearing someone speaking outside of her room, she stood and stumbled towards the door, ignoring the pain. She quickly fell to the ground, finding that her strength had yet to return. The speaking quickly stopped and the door burst open, with the doctor hurrying in and scrambling to pull her to her feet. She winced at the pain in her stomach, but nonetheless tried to allow the doctor to help. Both she and the doctor stopped when a ring-studded hand placed itself in her face. She immediately recognized the Phantomhive ring on his finger...

"_Excuse me, may I help you?" _

A flicker of a memory from a long time ago...

"Well?" Ciel's voice was full of pride and something else she couldn't quite detect. "You're a noble; you don't belong on the floor. So why don't you get up?"

She smiled slowly and gently grabbed his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet. However, the maneuver failed as she stumbled back. That was when a pair of white gloved hands grabbed her under her arms and successfully prevented her from falling.

"If you must get p, my lady, please request my help. We don't need you falling and breaking your hip or something."

She glanced back at the honey-eyed butler who looked at her unamused. She returned the look.

"I am twenty-two, Sebastian, I am _far _too young to break a hip." She said, annoyance seeping into her voice.

"Of course."

* * *

"We must be leaving, but we will return in a few days, my lady." Sebastian informed Madame Raven as she stood in front of him, leaning on a cane. She looked almost like an old lady – except for her youthful appearance – in that she walked slowly and had a limp to her, making Ciel struggle not to laugh at her.

"Yes, we shall return soon. Don't hurt yourself again, Madame." Ciel stated, gesturing for Sebastian to open the carriage door. He opened it, a hand behind his back and Ciel got in, sitting down by the window. He looked to her with a smirk.

"I hope you will be _on your feet_ so that we may play another _game_, Madame."

"I hope you find peace at your mansion, Ciel, since your servants are so loud."

"I hope you are killed during one of your parties."

Sebastian sighed deeply as they began their banter with each other. However, the carriage began to pull away and Madame Raven shouted for them both to hear, with a wide-spead grin:

"I hope you find what you're looking for! I hope I was of much help!"

Ciel smirked.

"My lord, why did you save her? She tried to kill you, you know."

"It wasn't her that tried to kill me..." Ciel looked out the window, deciding to be simple about his answer.


End file.
